Phillip Waalkes, Ph.D.

Phillip Waalkes (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs. He received his bachelor's degree in English and Psychology from Hope College and his Master's in School Counseling from Western Carolina University. After working for about 5 years as a school counselor in a rural K-12 school, he obtained his Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before arriving at UMSL, he worked for two years at the University of South Dakota as a counselor educator.

At UMSL, Dr. Waalkes serves as the counseling doctoral program coordinator. He teaches courses in the counseling program including Helping Relationship Skills, Theories of Counseling, Individual Inventories, Qualitative Methods in Educational Research I & II, and Career Information and Development.

Dr. Waalkes specializes in qualitative research methods and has conducted numerous studies using a broad range of qualitative research methods including consensual qualitative research, duoethnography, hermeneutic phenomenology, transcendental phenomenology, Q methodology, qualitative content analysis, photovoice, and narrative inquiry. His research interests include the development of teaching and research in counselor educators, career and college counseling for first-generation college students, qualitative research methods, and the development of school counselors. He currently serves on the editorial board for Counselor Education & Supervision.

Selected Publications

Waalkes, P. L., Hall, D. P., Stickl Haugen, J., Swindle, P. J., & Meyer, J. J. (2022). Beginning counselor educators’ growth and challenges in teaching. Counselor Education & Supervision, 1- 13.

Waalkes, P. L., DeCino, D. A., & Flynn, S. V. (2021). A content analysis of qualitative dissertations in counselor education. Counselor Education & Supervision, 60, 209-223.

Waalkes, P. L., DeCino, D. A., Stickl Haugen, J. E., & Dalbey, A. (2019). The relationship between job roles and gender on principal-school counselor relationship quality. Professional School Counseling, 22, 1-9.

Waalkes, P. L., Benshoff, J. M., Stickl, J. E., Swindle, P. J., & Umstead, L. K. (2018). Structure, impact, and deficiencies of beginning counselor educators’ doctoral teaching preparation. Counselor Education and Supervision, 57, 66-80.

Program Involvement

• Grad Cert - Career Counseling
• Grad Cert - School Counseling - Post-Master's
• MEd - Counseling | School Counseling
• Minor - Counseling and Human Services Minor
• PhD - Counseling

Published Research Areas

• Career Development
• Counseling
• Counselor Training/Supervision
• Faculty Development
• Qualitative Research
• Social Justice
• Teaching and Learning Theory